About the HPV Vaccine

The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine protects girls from developing cervical cancer when they are adults.

The HSE has offered the HPV vaccine to all girls in first year in second level schools since 2010 to protect them from cervical cancer in adulthood. HPV vaccine is offered to this age group because the response to the vaccine is best at this age.

The vaccine is recommended by

the World Health Organization

the International Federation of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists

the National Immunisation Advisory Committee

The HPV vaccine is available free of charge from the HSE for all girls in 1st year of second level school.

The vaccine is given through a school based programme, to ensure high vaccine uptake. However, in specific instances some girls will be invited to special HSE clinics for their vaccines.

The HSE will let you know the date the school immunisation team will attend your daughter’s school to give the HPV vaccine. If a student misses the vaccine in school, the HSE will arrange for the student to be vaccinated at a HSE clinic.

Why is HPV Vaccine Important?

Each year in Ireland, over 6,500 women need hospital treatment for pre cancer of the cervix, 300 women get cervical cancer, and 90 women die from it. Cervical Cancer is caused by HPV.

HPV vaccine protects against 7 out of 10 cervical cancers.

We are offering the vaccine to girls in first year because the vaccine works best when given at this age. The vaccine will protect the girls before adulthood and the likely exposure to HPV.

Dr. Philip Davies, Director General of the European Cervical Cancer Association stated in January 2016:

“30,000 women die from cervical cancer each year in Europe; many of these deaths are preventable. Through CervicalCheck and the HPV vaccination programme, Ireland has one of the best cervical cancer prevention programmes in Europe and it’s completely free.”

Is it safe?

Yes, HPV vaccines have been shown to be very safe. For more than 10 years the safety of the HPV vaccine has been strictly monitored and frequently reviewed by many international bodies including:

the European Medicines Agency (EMA);

the Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety of the World Health Organization;

and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the US.

These international bodies have continually reported that the vaccine is safe with no known long-term side effects.

The World Health Organization considers HPV vaccines to be extremely safe. (July 2017)

The vaccine can cause some short term side effects. These may include:

pain, redness or swelling in the arm where the vaccine was given;

headache;

dizziness;

nausea;

and/or a mild fever.

These can be treated with paracetamol or ibuprofen.

Occasionally girls faint after getting an injection. The girls will be advised to sit down for 15 minutes after the vaccination. This helps prevent fainting.

Rarer side effects include:

wheezing (bronchospasm);

or an itchy rash or hives.

Like most vaccines, severe allergic reactions are extremely rare. If you are worried about any of these talk to your doctor or a member of the school team. The contact phone numbers are available in English and Irish.

The HSE is guided by the recommendations of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

All vaccines used by the HSE including Gardasil® are licensed by the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA). These agencies have strict procedures for the licensing and monitoring of all vaccines to ensure their safety and effectiveness. By March 2017, over 227 million doses of Gardasil® have been distributed worldwide, either as part of national immunisation programmes or by private doctors. Gardasil® is currently used in over 25 European countries, the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

In Ireland 660,000 doses of Gardasil® have been administered and more than 230,000 girls have been fully vaccinated against HPV.

All national and international regulatory bodies have stated HPV vaccines are safe.

In January 2017 all 69 US National Cancer Institute NCI-designated Cancer Centers Endorsed HPV Vaccination

“As national leaders in cancer research and clinical care, we are compelled to collectively call upon parents and health care providers to increase vaccination rates so our nation’s children don’t grow up to become cancer patients. HPV vaccines, like all vaccines (used in the U.S.), have passed extensive safety testing before and after being approved. The vaccines have a safety profile similar to that of other vaccines approved for adolescents in the U.S. Internationally, the safety of HPV vaccines has been tested and approved by the World Health Organization’s Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety”.